Caterpillar 5" Sliding Switch Corded Angle Grinder -DX361U

I fabricate large metal sculptures and use a variety of angle grinders in my shop. Over the years, I've used (and worn out) a lot of different angle grinders, I found inexpensive grinders do not hold up well in an industrial shop environment.Industrial grinders, like this Cat angle grinder, are heavier duty with more power than consumer grade angle grinders. My current shop standard is a Dewalt D28114, which is an excellent industrial angle grinder with similar specs to this Cat. Unfortunately, Dewalt has discontinued the D28114 and the two I have are getting old and tired, so when I saw this 13 Cat angle grinder I figured I'd give it a try.This Cat is comparable in specifications to the Dewalt D28114 angle grinder, both are 13 amp grinders, the Cat is a 10,000RPM grinder, the Dewalt runs at 11,000RPM. I will be basing my comments here on the comparison between the two.First off , the Cat grinder is large and heavy. It weighs about 10 ounces more than the Dewalt, yet feels much heavier. This may be due to the longer body and trigger style. The trigger switch is long with a small safety interlock at the front. Once you get use to it, the interlock is easy to disengage, the switch works well with gloves. The grinder has a "soft-start", which is helpful, as it eliminates the gyroscopic twist of a full-speed start, making the grinder much easier to handle.The Cat is a physically bigger grinder, with a longer body. It is designed to be held two-handed, gripping the cushioned side handle and rear trigger handle. The Dewalt in contrast has slimmer body with a small paddle switch on the belly of the grinder, it is shorter and designed to be gripped by your trigger hand around the body of the grinder closer to the gear head. I found there are situations where each of these layouts have advantages. The Cat style layout, with its longer body and wider hand positions, provides more leverage, which is useful in some situations, as it increases control. The Dewalt grinder is shorter and feels more natural to me - of course, I've been using these for a decade, so that is to be expected. The Cat definitely feels like a bigger grinder, more in-line with my 7" grinders.The Cat grinder is powerful and loud. You definitely should wear ear protection when using it. The D28114 is loud as well, but subjectively, I'd say about 65% as loud as the Cat.At the time of this review, this Cat grinder was priced $60 less than Dewalt's replacement for the D28114. (I have not used the new Dewalt DWE43114, so I have no idea if it is as good as the discontinued D28114.)As far as the Cat, it is a serious angle grinder. It is powerful, heavy and loud. The long body and wide hand spacing provides lot of leverage, which is useful when rough grinding. I found the weight and size makes it less suited for fine detail work.The grinder comes with two different safety shields, each can be installed and adjusted without tools. The auxiliary handle is well cushioned and has integrated storage for the wrench, which is a very handy feature. The power cord is long and sturdy. So far, the grinder has performed as expected. It is very powerful and chews through tasks with ease. For me, this is a solid angle grinder suitable for big jobs.

I got this grinder to replace a Dewalt one that suddenly quit working. It is about twice the size of my old one and a lot heavier than I was expecting. I use a grinder for various metal projects/crafts and don't really need such a heavy duty one. It definitely takes some getting used to and extra muscle to use this one. I gave it 4 Stars because of how heavy it was for me. It works just like it is supposed to and the price was reasonable. Just make sure you realize when you order that it is quite heavy.

Cat tools seem to be really good. I have several of them, and none of them have disappointed. Actually, I'd put them right alongside Milwaukee or Dewalt and maybe even ahead of them thus far. This one is no different. I have a few angle grinders, but they are all old. I was wondering how this would compare to my old Craftsman from a billion years ago. That was is 11 amp. It was actually considered the "professional" angle grinder in 1583 when I bought it. Or whenever it was. I think I bought it from a Sears in a cave. Anyway, this is MUCH more powerful. I don't care what I put in front of this thing, it just grinds right through it without a complaint. I think you'll break a wheel before you stall this thing so...wear eye protection. You get two eyes for your entire life and you don't get do-overs. Breaking a grinding wheel at 10,000 RPM can be bad for your face.So, yeah, it's good. Good and powerful.

This angle grinder is actually made by Caterpillar. Caterpillar didn't just license their trademark brand to a third party. This statement is important because when you buy this angle grinder you are getting the same high quality equipment that Cat is known for. I ordered this Cat grinder because my battery one couldn't keep up. The power drain was too much for the batteries. This corded angle grinder solves my issue. I now get unlimited power.

I have a couple of CAT tools now and have been really impressed with them. This one is no exception. It has a powerful motor, the materials are strong, and the build-quality seems to be good as well. I cannot speak to the longevity of the tool, having only had it for a bit over a month now, but I enjoy using it when I get the chance. It feels like a tool that will last.

So I was a little hesitant getting a corded one but I realized I already had a battery one and simply sometimes you need a corded one for certain jobs that require either using it for a long time or need a ton of power and this is the tool for you. This thing literally has so much power and I feel like you could run it nonstop forever and it just simply won’t break. This thing is beyond terrible, fast and strong highly recommend.

Happy husband, Happy life! I ordered this for my husband who owns a construction business and he is very happy with it. The quality is great! He was also happy to see that it is a 5" since his other is a 4". He uses this almost daily and needs a good dependable product, this is definitely it.

I used this CAT 5" corded grinder with some 3M grinding wheels to work on a welding project I have been working on. This grinder is rated at 13 amps. Let me tell you something, you're never gonna stall this thing out. I have used 7" grinders that did not feel this powerful. I believe this tool is very well made and will stand up to the rigors of daily professional use.